Gambiaj.com – (ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal) – Twenty-four years after the sinking of the Le Joola off the coast of The Gambia, the wreck remains at the bottom of the Atlantic, while families of those who died continue to press the Senegalese government to recover the vessel and, more importantly, the human remains believed to be trapped inside it.
The demand has once again taken center stage today as Senegal marks the 24th anniversary of the disaster, which officially claimed 1,863 lives and left only 64 survivors. Families’ associations say the actual number of people lost was higher than the official figure.
Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lô arrived in Ziguinchor on Saturday to preside over the official commemoration. His programme included the laying of a wreath at the Kantène cemetery and prayers for the victims.
But for many families, the anniversary is also a reminder that some of their longstanding demands remain unresolved.
Musée-Mémorial du Joola in Ziguinchor. Opened in 2024, it now houses objects recovered from the wreck.
Families Want the Remains Recovered
The strongest demand this year is for the recovery of the remains of victims still believed to be inside the wreck.
Elie Jean Bernard Diatta, representing victims’ families, said in August that the recovery of the remains was necessary to allow relatives to finally begin what they describe as a proper mourning process.
The families want the remains placed in a reliquary at the Musée-Mémorial du Joola in Ziguinchor, which opened in 2024 and now houses objects recovered from the wreck.
For the families, the memorial cannot fully represent the victims while their remains remain at sea.
The demand for the recovery of the wreck itself is not new. It was raised again when the memorial museum was inaugurated in 2024, alongside calls for justice and other forms of recognition for the victims.
No Concrete Recovery Operation
Despite repeated calls at successive anniversaries, there has been no publicly announced technical operation to raise the Joola from the seabed.
The wreck lies at roughly 20 meters below the surface off The Gambia. Recovering it would require a detailed underwater assessment, specialized equipment, and a carefully designed operation because of concerns that the structure could break apart during the process.
Sokhna Gaye Fall, administrator of the Joola memorial, has stressed the technical difficulties involved in such an operation. There are also ethical and memorial considerations, with the wreck effectively regarded as a maritime grave.
Those concerns have contributed to the caution surrounding any attempt to bring the vessel to the surface.
The debate therefore goes beyond recovering a shipwreck. For the families, the central issue is the possibility of recovering the remains of their relatives and giving them a final place of rest.
Other Demands Remain
The families are also calling for continued and sustainable support for children orphaned by the disaster, as well as strict enforcement of transport safety regulations to prevent another tragedy caused by human or institutional failures.
The Joola, designed to carry about 536 passengers, was carrying close to 2,000 people when it capsized during the night of September 26–27, 2002. Official rescue efforts were heavily criticized for their delay, while local fishermen were among the first to reach survivors.
Twenty-four years later, the disaster remains one of Senegal’s deepest national traumas.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has instructed the government to organize the anniversary in consultation with victims’ families and survivors and has stressed the preservation of the memory of those who died.
But as Senegal commemorates the victims in Ziguinchor, the families’ message remains unchanged: remembering the dead is not enough; they want their remains recovered, their children supported, and the safety lessons of the disaster permanently enforced.
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